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Don’t you hate that question? Every book worm who has been pulled back from a magical world to the reality of small talk dreads hearing those five words. Because how can you possibly answer that question politely for the uninitiated? There is no way to choose just one favorite, and even a top ten list would take far too long. And then you would have to explain your reasons for including some titles…and not others.​As much as I hate that question when it is brought up in casual conversation, I don’t mind it when a book nerd asks me. Then at least I can break it down into categories—favorite fantasy, favorite nonfiction, favorite biography—and will also seemingly automatically understand that this is a favorite list that is temporary. Usually the book nerd responds in kind. And proceeds to list five or six books that I love, and am utterly ashamed at having forgotten, and that I vow to remember next time.

But next time the list is almost entirely new. I do have favorites when it comes to books—I really do. It’s just that they don’t stay favorites for long. It is like brief but intense summer friendships (I was a counsellor at a children’s camp last summer. Trust me, they are very brief but very intense). As soon as you think that you’ve got a handle on the top five, there is a new face and a new entry. And yet…there are a few books that I come back to time and time again. It’s a miscellaneous list, a hodgepodge of genres and authors. But somehow, no matter what I am reading and enjoying, at least one of these titles makes it onto my list.

The Chronicles of Narnia, by CS Lewis. This shouldn’t be a surprise, if you’ve been reading the blog for very long at all. Narnia for me is a wonderful place where young people get old responsibilities and magic is always around the corner. Whichever book I have read most recently is the one I mention by name, recently that’s been mainly The Magician’s Nephew or The Voyage of the Dawn Treader.

Winnie the Pooh, by AA Milne. These books have taught me more about human nature than most of the phycology books that I have picked up. It’s amazing how deeply drawn a boy’s collection of stuffed animals can be.Kidnapped, by Robert Luis Stevenson. Something about the wild highlands and the fierce loyalty of Alan Breck made a mark on me that I can never remove.

Emma, by Jane Austen. Yes, Emma is spoiled. Yes, I sometimes want to scream when she tells other people how to feel. But Mr. Knightly makes it all worth it.

Start, by Jon Acuff. Hands down one of the best business books ever written. It’s also really funny, which is probably one of the reasons that it is such a favorite.

Love Does, by Bob Goff. Part memoir, part encouragement, totally awesome. The fearless love that Bob Goff lives his life with will change yours.

I can't help but ask you: What are some of your favorite books?

Yes, I do hate the question! Especially when the person who asked it isn't a book nerd and gets frustrated because I can't give them a straight answer. :P
I have, however, retained a few that will probably always be the first I'd mention when asked that question again - The Voyage of the Dawn Treader, Sir Quinlan and the Swords of Valor, and The Lord Of The Rings.

Reply

Zannah

5/17/2017 08:37:53 am

"The Lord of the Rings" by J.R.R. Tolkien: This is one of my absolute favorites, old friends that I always come back to when I have no one else to talk to or share an adventure with.

"Now We Are Six" by A.A. Milne: These are a collection of short poems written by A.A. Milne which have been my friends for a very long time.

The "Penderwicks" series by Jean Birdsall: These stories always reminded me of my sisters and I. They're comfortable stories that remind you of family and home and all the nicer things in childhood, even if there was some worry and heartache.

"Beowulf" verse translation by Seamus Heaney: This rather lengthy poem struck a heart-string with me when I first read it, for reasons still unknown. There was just a deep connection in me to the armor-clad warriors and brave heroes. Although Beowulf dies in the end, he died protecting his people, showing the world that even old men are still courageous heroes. And despite the sadness, there was still bright hope in young life and a new tomorrow, because the story would go on, even after the author stopped putting pen to paper.

Reply

Abigail Jackson

5/17/2017 08:57:57 am

The Lord of the Rings and Anne of Green Gables are two of my favorites. (Favorite series, anyway. Notice I couldn't pick a single book either. ;P) I like them because the author's prose is practically poetry and they simply--and faithfully--represent human nature. Other favorites are Lorna Doone, The Hoosier School-Master, and David Balfour. :D